


Futile

by Evil_Asch



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Angst, Grief/Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-03
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2018-11-23 04:03:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11394969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evil_Asch/pseuds/Evil_Asch
Summary: Jack and Capt. Hart have a conversation before Jack heads to a certain Welsh pub. Story set after COE and directly before the audio drama 'The House of the Dead'.





	Futile

"Did you love her? Really?" Captain Jack Harkness asked.

"Sure." Captain John Hart replied dark eyes glittering.

Jack sighed and glanced askance at his one-time lover sometimes nemesis.

"John –"

"You loved Eye-Candy, right?"

Hart felt a small seed of satisfaction and jealousy at the pain that flickered over Jack's face at the reference to his dead lover. Hart noted Jack physically tense, his fists clench as he contained his rage at Hart's words.

"Well, that's one kind of love, what we had, in that time loop? S'another." Hart said flippantly and drew a long pull from the bottle held loosely in his right hand.

"Which was it?" Jack insisted.

"Does it matter?"

Jack thought about that, about all the miles, the death, and the vast sea of time between then and now.

"Yes it does."

"I cared about her Jack, I did, but I had to rob her, if I didn't I'd've been killed and her next." Jack said fiercely.

"You killed her."

"Yeah I did. I'd do it again too. Once you would've too. Kill or be killed Jack." Hart said accusingly and sneered at the taller man. Jack snatched the bottle from Hart and took a mouthful of the expensive liquor, holding it and tasting it for a moment before swallowing.

"I want you off this planet Hart."

"I want you to go with me."

"Why would I?"

"What? You'd prefer to stay here? This place is a bloody graveyard Jack, Gray is dead your whole team is dead except your little girlfriend in the tight pants. Oh wait she's preggers isn't she? Think she'll leave him for you? Now that she's got his brat in her? What, exactly, is there here for you?"

Jack was silent, glowering at John.

"Your daughter? The one whose son you murdered for the greater good? She returning any calls? You get any Christmas cards?" Hart laughed coldly.

Jack felt a sudden primitive urge to shatter the bottle and drive it into Hart's smirking face. Perhaps realizing he'd gone too far Hart got to his feet and slowly approached Jack.

"I'm not trying to hurt you – well, not only that – it's true Jack there is nothing left for you here." Hart said drawing close to the tall immortal, slipping his arms around Jack's waist, under his long coat.

"Come with me Jack, we'll see the universe, properly." He whispered pressing close.

Jack felt his gorge rise, the acid sting of bile in the back of his throat, his arms thrust out and levered Hart off of him.

"No." Jack gritted through a clenched jaw, eyes looking away from Hart.

"Do you hate me that much?" Hart asked. He sounded raw, hurt.

"No, I hate me that much." Jack hissed.

Hart looked puzzled then glanced away from Jack and down toward the city they were looming over. Always a fan of drama Hart had chosen the location, a reminder of how things had ended the last time the two had enjoyed a rooftop chat.

"You're such a bloody martyr Jack there are worse men out there y'know." A petulant jealous tone colored Hart's complaint, a sense of disappointment at not being noticed and appreciated for his own dark deeds.

"I love you Jack, that's never changed." Hart said tiredly after a few silent seconds passed. He gently pried the bottle from Jack's hand and flung it out over the city. Listening as it crashed against the ground out of sight.

"Just go." Jack said wearily.

"Make me." Hart shot back turning on his heel and glaring at Jack, a challenge in his stance.

"There's nothing for you here!" Jack shouted in anguish.

"There's you Jack, there's always you." Hart said softly eyes hungry.

"I don't even know what I am any more –" Jack's tone was bleak.

"I'll remind you, there's an entire universe out there ripe for the picking –" Hart whispered intently.

"No, not again." Jack said closing his eyes on temptation and a past of shame.

"Then what Jack? Suicide? Bit of a challenge given your 'condition'" Hart snarled beyond frustrated.

He reached for Jack again, this time Jack slapped Hart's hand away then closed in and gripped Hart by the front of his colorful military jacket.

"No." It was more of a plea than a command.

John kissed him silencing him and for a moment, the briefest of heartbeats, Jack returned it. Then Jack broke the embrace, turned to walk away.

"Not like this Jack!" Hart pleaded hurrying after Jack. Jack paused in his tracks and looked at Hart, Hart's face suddenly that of the young Time Agent Jack had known so well and for so long a hundred lifetimes ago.

If you go, if you break now you could be happy, he's mortal it won't be long, a few decades and then… he thought as Hart reached for him again.

"I'm sorry John, I've got an appointment with an old friend." Jack said with a ghost of his old smile and moved for the door slipping away from Hart's grasp.

Hart watched him go, the familiar devastation and rage closing in on him.

"Jack –"

"I'm sorry John but this is one appointment I have to keep, the last one." Jack said as he opened the door and looked back at his former lover.

He watched the steel security door close behind Jack and swore to himself, swore that one day Jack Harkness would remember what it cost to hurt John Hart.

**Author's Note:**

> I always thought Hart had more to him than flamboyant violence and cheeky amorality. He has some kind of moral compass albeit badly broken and his idea of love is...not.


End file.
